Paul Kuhn Trio - Blame It On My Youth

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:12
Size: 110.4 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[2:58] 1. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
[3:50] 2. Blame It On My Youth
[3:25] 3. On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
[5:09] 4. Blues Again
[3:33] 5. I've Got The World On A String
[2:59] 6. Lulu's Back In Town
[3:31] 7. The Very Thought Of You
[2:52] 8. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
[5:05] 9. With A Song In My Heart
[3:04] 10. My Romance
[4:54] 11. Willow Weep For Me
[4:15] 12. But Not For Me
[2:31] 13. Broadway

Recorded in the SFB Studios in Berlin, this album by the Paul Kuhn Trio - Paul (piano, vocals), Paul G. Ulrich (bass) and Kurt Bong (drums) - features some of the great American popular songs which have made a lasting impression on Paul Kuhn in the course of a career spanning more than 50 years, songs such as Rodgers & Hart's 'My Romance', Gershwin's 'But Not For Me', Ray Noble's 'The Very Thought Of You' and Harold Arlen's 'I've Got The World On A String' performed with style and affection.

Blame It On My Youth

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Veronica Nunn - Standard Delivery

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:41
Size: 129.8 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[3:47] 1. If I Had You
[3:26] 2. Surrey With The Fringe On Top
[3:36] 3. I Love You For Sentimental Reasons
[4:08] 4. A Foggy Day
[4:36] 5. I’ve Grown Accustomed To His Face
[4:16] 6. One Note Samba
[4:19] 7. I Can’t Give You Anything But Love
[5:53] 8. More Than You Know
[4:25] 9. Thou Swell
[1:47] 10. I Hadn't Anyone Til You
[4:37] 11. I’m Old Fashioned
[3:37] 12. Where Or When
[4:47] 13. That’s All
[3:20] 14. Honeysuckle Rose

"When you looked at an album cover in the old days," Veronica explains, "it told a story. The album cover and the title kind of prepped you for what you were about to experience, and I always felt that a jazz album isn't just the music that is played—it's the whole package. When you pull out that CD, it should be like a storybook. The cover and the album title kind of whet your appetite, and when you hear the songs, it takes you through an experience. It should all be an experience."

Like her previous release, American Lullaby (which focused on jazz interpretations of lullaby-like melodies), Standard Delivery is very thematic (its dominant theme being a jazz vocalist's relationship with time-honored standards). On Standard Delivery, Nunn puts her personal stamp on an abundance of classics from the Great American Songbook, including George Gershwin's "A Foggy Day," Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart's "Where or When," Dorothy Fields' "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" and Jerome Kern's "I'm Old Fashioned." Not every melody on Standard Delivery originated in Manhattan's legendary Tin Pan Alley; the album moves into Brazilian territory on Antonio Carlos Jobim's "One Note Samba," and "Honeysuckle Rose" was composed by the great stride pianist/singer Fats Waller. But everything on Standard Delivery is a well known standard, and everything on the album receives Nunn's personal touch." I don't want an album to be just a bunch of tunes that I randomly threw together," Nunn notes. "That's why I put a lot of energy into having a theme and a continuity when I record an album."

The fact that Standard Delivery sounds both spontaneous and focused has to do with not only Nunn herself, but also, with the presence of her working trio, which consists of acoustic pianist Travis Shook (who is Nunn's husband and frequent musical collaborator and is known for his 1993 debut album on Columbia Records/Sony Music), upright bassist Jennifer Vincent and drummer/percussionist Jaz Sawyer. Nunn's cohesive and highly sympathetic trio, which also appeared on American Lullaby in 2000, has been backing her for 13 years—and their presence is a definite plus throughout Standard Delivery.

Standard Delivery

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Derek Smith - Latin Expression

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:14
Size: 119.6 MB
Styles: Latin rhythms
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[4:21] 1. Mambo Inn
[6:19] 2. Poinciana
[5:18] 3. Mi Cancion
[4:45] 4. Alpinos
[4:41] 5. El Cumbanchero
[4:52] 6. Partido Alto
[3:00] 7. Son De La Loma
[3:37] 8. Besame Mama
[3:17] 9. So Danco Samba
[3:51] 10. Cubano Chant
[2:58] 11. Sempre Sim
[5:09] 12. Here We Go

The title of Derek Smith's Latin Expression falls somewhat short of the actual experience. It does not even begin to describe the utter joy that arises from the resonant, fluttering, dancing music that swathes the record. Perhaps "Latin Explosion" might have been more appropriate? Steel panist/vibraphonist Smith plunges, body and soul, into a veritable carnival of Afro-Caribbean sounds, acquitting himself with distinction.

To many it might have been a challenge to switch back and forth between pans and vibes and expect the same effect, but Smith has mastered the nuanced differences between the resonances of the two instruments. Accordingly, he employs a subtly different attack to gain an appropriate after-burn from phrase-ending notes on the pans, in order to make them hang. His sliding dynamics on the vibes create diaphanous echoes that follow notes sounded by furrier mallets, and the effect he achieves is wholly absorbing.

Nowhere is this more delightfully evident than on "El Cumbanchero." But the spirited kick in "Mambo Inn" comes a close second in the showcasing Smith's wizardry with the mallets. That is the first track on an album where the level of exuberance seems to rise song-after-song, peaking again on "Son de la Luna," Miguel Matamoros' classic son. Mongo Santamaria "Besame Mama" features a stellar turn by Smith on pans, with a wonderful, angular attack and rapid-fire runs that includes the higher register of the instrument. The song also grabs attention because of the empathetic relationship that Smith enjoys with pianist Jason Moen, who dazzles by mimicking a guitar on the keyboards, complete with strumming effects.

"So Danco Samba" retains its samba rhythm, thanks to fine work by bassist Aaron German and percussionists Colin Douglas and Mike Shannon. But surprisingly, the band turns it into a Caribbean feature as Smith rocks the pans. In the capable hands of this ensemble, Ray Bryant "Cubano Chant" is fashioned in a graceful vocal manner, also featuring Colin Douglas' exquisite percussion coloring. Jovino Santos Neto, who is fast gaining recognition for his extraordinary music, is represented by "Sempre Sim," which features a wonderful melody full of almost ghostly quarter tones in its harmony.

Derek Smith's own compositions—"Mi Cancion" and "Here We Go"—possess fine, strong melodies and auger well for the development of this hard-working musician, who will surely become a headline act in the realm of Afro-Caribbean music. ~RAUL D'GAMA ROSE

Derek Smith: steel pans, vibes; Aaron Germain: electric bass; Jason Moen; piano, keyboard; Colin Douglas: drums, congas, guiro; Mike Shannon: drums (8, 9, 11); Mark Rosenthal: cello, steel pans (4, 12).

Latin Expression

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Ilse Huizinga - Easy To Idolize

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:03
Size: 135,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:07)  1. That's All
(2:08)  2. The Sound Of Music
(3:00)  3. I Only Have Eyes For You
(5:04)  4. Willow Weep For Me
(2:50)  5. The Thrill Is Gone
(2:48)  6. Skylark
(3:48)  7. Easy To Love
(2:37)  8. Someday My Prince Will Come
(3:58)  9. Time After Time
(2:21) 10. Isn't It Romantic
(4:11) 11. The Nearness Of You
(2:20) 12. I'm A Fool To Want You
(2:57) 13. When You Wish Upon A Star
(3:16) 14. All The Things You Are
(3:19) 15. Somewhere - Over The Rainbow
(3:38) 16. A Child Is Born
(1:53) 17. I Love You
(3:06) 18. The Man I Love
(1:33) 19. What'll I Do

Leading newspapers in the Netherlands describe Ilse Huizinga as one of the most distinguished of the new generation of Dutch jazz singers. From the very beginning of her career with the release of her first album Out Of A Dream (1997) to her most recent Easy To Idolize (2003), media and audiences have spoken highly of her. Numerous articles, interviews and appearances on radio and television followed and connected her to a diverse and broad audience. She performed in Spain, Turkey, Switzerland, France and England. An old piano drew Ilse to music and at the tender age of six she received her first piano lessons. She took up singing lessons as a teenager and discovered the music and albums of Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Abbey Lincoln. Although her passion was aroused she decided against a career in music and enrollend in the University of Amsterdam to graduate in Public Administration. As a student however, she regularly took part in open mike nights at the famous jazz club Casablanca, in the heart of the Amsterdam Red Light District. Then and there she decided to follow her heart and become a professional jazz singer. 

Ilse went on to study at the Amsterdam Music Conservatory and performed in many venues in the Netherlands. On stage she met pianist/composer Erik van der Luijt, whom she married in 1998. Together they produce Ilse's four albums to date. Ilse and Erik have a daughter, Ellen, born in 2000. What others say: “A voice of which other singers only dream: full, clear and sensitive...” Nouveau “One of the most distinguished of the new generation of Dutch jazz singers. In the titlesong we get genuine coloratura, in This Can't Be Love she manages to fit entire octaves in a single syllable - great that the poignang lyrics meanwhile never suffer...” De Volkskrant “La Huizinga exhibits the hallmarks of a diva in the making. We are getting to know her better and better as one of the leading Dutch jazz singers...” http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/ilsehuizinga

Easy To Idolize

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Eight To The Bar - Behind the Eight Ball

Styles: Swing, R&B
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:45
Size: 98,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:09)  1. I'm Trumpin'
(3:55)  2. Party Life
(3:38)  3. Twistin' in the Wind
(3:21)  4. If My Mama Could See Me Now
(3:52)  5. All Talk No Action
(2:50)  6. I Want to Rock
(3:47)  7. Jump, Jive and Wail
(5:05)  8. Better Luck Next Time
(3:00)  9. Hold Tight
(3:57) 10. Them There Eyes
(3:10) 11. Ain't That Love
(1:54) 12. Nagasaki

A mix of mostly uptempo swing with lots of vocal harmonies and a few bluesy, more "West Coast" style tunes.

"Behind the Eight Ball" is our edgiest, most high energy swing CD! From the breathless pace of the opening, "I'm Trumpin'", to the final scat notes of the CDs closer, "Nagasaki", the CD is thrill packed with excitement. The band's classic "Twistin' in the Wind" tells the universal musicians' story of all the things that can go wrong at one gig, and guitarist Tommy Whalen's "Better Luck Next Time" adds his trademark blues influence to the disc. Lovers of Collin Tilton's tenor saxophone will appreciate the depth and breadth of his style, especially his soulful solo on Ray Charles' "Ain't That Love". If you're looking for swing that drives, this CD will satisfy you. ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Behind-Eight-Ball-Bar/dp/B00000I7FL
 

Personnel: Tommy Whalen (vocals, guitar); Cynthia Lyon (vocals, piano, organ); P.J. Plenninger (vocals, drums); Zanny Gaudet (vocals, percussion); Michael Corsini (vocals); Collin Tilton (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone).

Behind the Eight Ball

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Junko Onishi - Musical Moments

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:24
Size: 150,0 MB
Art: Front

( 5:29)  1. Hat And Beard
( 3:39)  2. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
( 7:21)  3. Back In The Days
( 6:17)  4. Bittersweet
( 5:34)  5. Ill Wind
( 8:11)  6. Musical Moments
( 4:37)  7. Something Sweet, Something Tender
( 4:36)  8. G. W.
( 3:15)  9. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
(16:20) 10. So Long Eric, Mood Indigo, Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me

With the release of her 1993 Blue Note debut Cruisin', pianist Junko Onishi arrived as one of the most promising of Japan-born jazz musicians. Growing up in Tokyo, Onishi received classical piano lessons but became quite interested in jazz. She studied at Berklee and after three years moved to New York. Already a well-developed player, Onishi worked with Joe Henderson, Betty Carter, Kenny Garrett, and Mingus Dynasty before recording her debut as a leader. She considers her style to be based on Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, and Ornette Coleman; her other recordings from the '90s include 1994's Live at the Village Vanguard, 1995's Piano Quintet Suite, and 1999's Fragile. After Fragile, Onishi took a break from releasing albums to focus on developing her music. She returned over ten years later with 2009's Musical Moments. She followed that up a year later with her 2010 Verve debut, Baroque, which featured several Onishi originals as well as interpretations of some 20th century classical pieces, including "The Three Penny Opera." Bio ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/junko-onishi-mn0000307945/biography

Personnel: Junko Onishi – Piano; Yosuke Inoue – Bass; Gene Jackson – Drums; Reginald Veal – Bass (#10); Herlin Riley – Drums (#10)

Musical Moments

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